Orlando, Fla. – February 1, 2018 – The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes has launched Ritz Kids’ newest experience—the Ritz Kids Badge Program. Children ages 4-12 are invited to participate in the new initiative, offering an opportunity to embark on a number of adventures at the 500-acre Grande Lakes Orlando resort, which also includes a JW Marriott hotel, a Ritz-Carlton Spa and an 18-hole golf course amongst other experiences.

The new Ritz Kids Badge Program features a series of challenges in and around the property, all designed to encourage little ones to celebrate their innate curiosity and sense of adventure. Following completion of the first, mandatory challenge - known as the “Grande Lakes scavenger hunt” - kids will be awarded a Ritz Kids backpack or T-shirt to wear through the remaining 23 challenges, which are to be completed in any order they want. The program includes a range of exciting activities, from embarking on a kayak eco-tour or Sunrise Safari and partaking in a Surrey Bike excursion to speed boat racing and visiting the Ritz Kids garden to meet the resort’s chickens. Guests of The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels can take advantage of the many family activities at Grande Lakes Orlando through participating in the program, including fishing, bird watching, golfing and more.

The program works as follows:

Once the child has met the requirements of each specific challenge, they are eligible to collect a “button” for that successfully completed activity

After 12 “buttons,” a child receives a Ritz-Carlton plush lion and certificate

After 24 “buttons,” the child becomes “Honorary General Manager for a Day” which includes a customary jacket, nametag, pin, ID, and lunch with the General Manager, Chef, or Hotel Manager

12 of the challenges occur every day, while 12 are exclusive and only awarded seasonally, offering the opportunity to keep the fun going and get little ones excited for their return visit to the resort

Ritz Kids at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes offers children the opportunity to become fully immersed in Florida’s rich history and biodiversity. The journey starts at check-in, when little ones begin their quest to learn more about the unexpected history of central Florida and the footprints it has left on the region. This new Ritz Kids component furthers the brand’s commitment to Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, which invites little ones to discover adventure and exploration through four pillars: water, land, environmental responsibility and culture. Positioned at the headwaters of the Florida Everglades, the resort provides families the chance to experience a taste of Old Florida. Orlando may have evolved into a bustling metropolis, but the Everglades remain an unparalleled landscape and the “largest subtropical wilderness” in the United States.